Changeable sign



N0. 625,68l. Patenfed may 23;; I899.

w. w. & H; F. JOHNSON.

GHANGEABLE SIGN.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.)-

(No Model.)

. f \I Z a 1% 1 I 2 I Inventors.-

mz norms versus co Pnu'ro-umu. WASHWGTON. I; 0y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. JOHNSON AND HETTIE F. OHNSON, OF J AMESTOWN OHIO.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,681, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed March 18, 1899.

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, WILLIAM W. JOHNSON and HETTIE F. JOHNSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable Signs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to those changeable signs which include a frame provided with a glass,abackground, and one or more sets of detachable letters, numbers, 850., capable of being readily removed from the background and rearranged thereon to afford a new inscription and the object of our improvement is to prevent accidental shifting of these detachable characters and without employing glue or other adhesive medium for such a purpose. To accomplish this result, our background is perfectly rigid or non-elastic, is coated with smalt, fine sand, or other suitable material that Will render it comparatively rough, and the concealed side of each letter has one or more rearward projections capable of bearing against said rigid roughened surface, so as to secure a frictional hold thereon. These rearward projections or bearings may be integral with the letters or they may be attached thereto in any convenientway, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a changeable sign embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing, on an enlarged scale, the back of the letter I displayed on said sign. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of said letter. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the sign, taken at the line Z Z of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications of our invention.

Serial No, 708,897. (No model.)

are usually punched out of white glazed cardmentary frame let into the main frame Afor the purpose of retaining said glass in place.

II are bolts passing through the backing and frame G and having in front ornamental nuts h. These bolts secure the frame G to the sign.

Before applying letters to our sign the inner frame G must be removed and the glass F taken out, after which act the unyielding or non-elastic backing B is laid flatly upon a table, the roughened snrfaceO of said back ing being thereby exposed to the operator and enabling the ready formation of the desired inscriptions. These inscriptions are formed by first selecting the proper letters, numerals, 850., and arranging them on the background either in straight or curved lines, care being taken to turn the faces of the letters up. Consequently the bearings E on the rear surfaces of the letters, &c., are brought in direct contact with the rough background 0. After all the inscriptions have been thus applied the glass F is laid flatly upon the face of the letters, and then the inner frame Gis let into the outer one, A, and secured to the sign by the bolts H h. I

The nuts h are so tightened as to cause the frame G to serve as a clamp that exerts some little pressure against the four margins of the glass, the result being to cause the bearings E to obtain a secure frictional hold on the non-elastic background of the sign. Therefore the letters cannot be accidentally shifted from their proper places except by employing sufficient force to destroy the entire structure.

In the modification of our invention shown in Fig. 5 the integral bearings are omitted and the letter D is provided with projections E, made of felt or other similar yielding'material capable of obtaining afirm hold on the rigid background. These somewhat compressible pads are first punched out of a strip or sheet of the proper material or materials and then adhesively fastened to the backs of the letters or other characters displayed on the sign. a

In an elaboration of our invention shown in Fig. 6 a two-faced sign is represented, the rigid backing B being seated within a sill A and coated front and rear. Two glasses f f are used in this case and a pair of clampframes g g, the latter being united together by bolts H, thatpass through the backing B. In this illustration the letters are omitted to render the arrangement of the frames, &c.,

more conspicuous; but the letters will be secured to a double sign in precisely the same manner as to a single one.

From the above description it is evident that whichever of these constructions may be adopted the letters, 850., will be held in place wholly by frictional contact with the rigid background and without employing glue or other adhesive medium to keep them from shifting around.

We are aware that it is not new to face the backings of changeable signs, &c., with soft or flexible materials in order that detachable letters, numbers, and other characters may be forced into these yielding cushions when pressed against the latter by a protectingglass, as such an arrangement is shown in Buxtons patent, No. 454,424, and Barthels patent, No. 506,580. Therefore we disclaim. any and every form of sign wherein letters are forced against yielding or soft backgrounds and expressly confine our invention to a rigid or inflexible background having a rough front against which the bearings on the rear of the letters obtain a firm hold.

We claim as our invention- 1. ha changeable sign, a frame having a rough rigid background; letters, 850., having rearward projections that serve as their only bearings against said background; a glass plate adapted to press upon the front of said letters, and means for retaining said glass in ing B, having a rough coat 0; letters D having rearward projections E that bear against said rough coat 0; a glass plate F adapted to press upon the face of said letters; a frame G, in front of said glass; and bolts H h, for

retaining said frame G in place.

In testimony whereof weaftix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. JOHNSON. HETTIE F. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

ESTHER G. FRAME, G. W. CLARK. 

